Boys just 14, 15, slain as they bicycled together in Stockton

Sunday

STOCKTON — Two teenage boys were gunned down in the wee hours of Sunday morning in northeast Stockton. One died at the scene, the other at a hospital. They were 14 and 15 years old, police reported.

Police were notified about 12:08 a.m. that shots were fired and a person was down on the ground in the 7000 block of Montauban Avenue, just north of Hammertown Drive and a few blocks south of East Hammer Lane.

When officers arrived, they found two boys suffering from gunshot wounds. Medics at the scene pronounced one of the boys dead. The second boy was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to police.

Family members identified the boys as Nicholas Sihalath, 14, of Stockton, a freshman at Ronald E. McNair High School; and Advan Vang, 15, of Sacramento, a student at Samuel Jackman Middle School in Sacramento. Advan was in Stockton on Saturday to attend a funeral.

As of late Sunday afternoon, police had not announced any arrests, provided any suspect information or a possible motive for the shootings.

Sunday evening, 50 to 60 family members and friends attended a gut-wrenching candlelight vigil at the spot on Montauban where the boys were found. They spilled out onto the four-lane roadway as police stood by to control traffic.

“(Nicholas’) siblings are screaming with everything within them, trying to understand this tragedy,” said Valerie Darden, identifying herself as Nicholas’ aunt-in-law from Sacramento.

Nicholas’ grief-stricken mother, Sovanh Vanhsy of Stockton, took a moment during the vigil to let the world know about her son.

“He was very energetic. He was friendly. He was into sports; he played for South Stockton Vikings (youth football),” Vanhsy said.

“He was always easy to talk to. He was very helpful and he always thinks of others before he takes care of himself,” she said.

Nicholas also was an avid fisherman. One of Vanhsy’s last memories, she said, will be of taking her son and his friends out Eight Mile Road into the Delta for a fishing excursion.

“Fishing was in his blood,” said his cousin, Joshua Vongkhamsing, 26, of Stockton, describing Nicholas as “a good kid, a good student.”

Nicholas was also known to like school, where he was an honor student; learning to cook; and riding his bicycle.

According to both families, Nicholas and Advan were riding bicycles together when the shooting occurred.

Vongkhamsing actually saw Nicholas riding alone on nearby Hammer Lane late Saturday night and figured he was headed in the direction of home.

“We have no information on where he got shot yet,” Vongkhamsing said, noting that he did not see his cousin with Advan on Hammer Lane.

Advan’s uncle, John Vue, traveled from Sacramento to attend the vigil and said his nephew also enjoyed fishing, often going out with his father and grandfather. Vue confirmed that Advan was out bicycle riding with Nicholas.

“He was a happy kid. He’s been through a whole lot, but he was happy,” Vue said.

Advan’s grieving father, Soua Vang, wrote in a social media post that his only son once told him when he grew up, he wanted to become a police officer “because he like seeing the rights and not the wrongs.”

While both boys’ families identified their loved ones, their names had not been officially released by the San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office as of late Sunday because the office is closed on weekends.

The families said they had not seen their children yet, according to Darden.

“There is no reason a grieving mother can’t see her son,” Darden said. “There is no reason bureaucracy should prevent a loved one from seeing their child like this just because it’s the weekend.”

The boys’ deaths mark the second and third homicides this year to be investigated by Stockton police detectives.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377, the Investigations Unit at (209) 937-8323 or Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $10,000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Cellphone users can text information to 274637 (CRIMES) by entering the keyword “TIPSPD” followed by their tip. Or they can use the Stockton Police Department mobile phone app and also remain anonymous. Internet users can visit the Police Department’s Facebook page and click “Submit a Tip.”